Missing
by phanzi
Summary: Knowing Otosan cares for something else more than me is more heartbreaking than seeing his picture on a wanted poster translated in many different languages.
1. A Memorable Nightmare

_Time and again my father left without a word._

_But words came in the form of hints. A wet letter in the stream with my name written in plain glitter on it, a blood-stained hospital blanket in my mailbox, the police cooped up in their little unsuspecting van parked next to my apartment block twenty-four-seven, a boyfriend suddenly motivated to crowd my house with out-of-season Valentine's Day gifts. The latter was rare though. All my relationships were nurtured through small talk and an overdose of makeup. After all, how can you calmly date the daughter of a criminal?_

_He was gone again, leaving me with nothing but a deadly weapon and the police on my tail more actively than any other watching session. His enemies were next, but if I always disregarded that because I knew that if I didn't know anything, they couldn't do anything. But not all of my dad's foes were brainless hooligans who carried bats and blades with them everywhere._

* * *

"_We are here to interrogate you."_

"_You get prettier every time I see you, Kiku."_

"_That's because you rarely see me, Otosan."_

"_Your father, Yamamoto Honda is on the run."_

"_I want to see you grow up."_

"_He is wanted in seventeen countries."_

"_Otosan, I got an A for my spelling test today!"_

"_You're a good girl, Kiku."_

"_Your father is a criminal."_

…_a criminal?_

"_So, will you help us?"_

"_Ms Honda, how is it like to have the police on your tail everyday?"_

"_Ms Honda, we would appreciate your help in our investigation very much."_

"_Ms Honda, we need an answer now!"_

"_Ms Honda!"_

"_Honda Kiku!"_

"_Ms Honda!"_

_Otosan…where are you?_

_Otosan…_

_Otosan!_

"Otosan!"

"Ms Honda! Finally, you're awake! You must be having a nightmare." Lisa, Kiku's personal servant said worriedly as she placed her hand on the rich girl's forehead. "You're burning up. I think you better skip classes today."

Twenty-year-old Honda Kiku struggled to sit up despite her pale skin and her dangerously high body temperature. The same nightmare recurred almost every night and it would give her headaches or fevers whenever she awoke. She stayed at home for more than half a week and it was always because of some ailment caused by the nightmare or that the police were watching her too closely. Because of her father's crimes, she had a home tutor and everything she needed from the outdoors to be indoors. For classes that she couldn't get from her home tutor, she had to struggle between two big bodyguards for a ten-minute walk to the private university.

"I can't skip classes today. Tamara-san will be unhappy." Tamara-san was Kiku's lady governess. The busy woman was the replacement for her father when he was gone, her late mother, her personal assistant, sometimes her maid and at other times her teacher.

"I already told her. We took your temperature while you were still asleep. It was near forty degrees Celsius."

"How did she react?"

"She just sighed. But she said you need to have plenty of rest…because…"

"Because what?" Kiku raised a brow.

"I think it's better if you ask Ms Tamara by yourself…"

"Lisa!"

"Okay, okay…" Lisa said in an apologetic tone. Her voice got softer as she continued. "Mr Carriedo called you this morning."

"Mr Carriedo? Antonio Fernandez Carriedo?" Lisa nodded. "What the hell would he want?"

"He says his wedding invitations to Tokyo had a little mailing problem, so he decided to inform his Japanese guests via phone calls. Please don't get mad."

Mr Carriedo. Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. He worked for Kiku's father for more than ten years, so much that Kiku almost believed the rumors that her father was gay for him. He left quite recently, a year ago, which was the last time Kiku saw her father in person and the last time she had to beg her hospital friends to keep his admission from the police due to a heart attack. The Hondas and the Spanish traitor (according to her father) no longer had anything to do with each other.

"I see. You may leave now." Kiku said as she tried to fight her fatigue from the fever to get out of bed. Once Lisa left, she locked the door and obstructed it with furniture heavy enough to block it and light enough for her to move. It wasn't the first time she had done that. Truth to be told, she _hated _Tamara. She opened the balcony door and turned off the air conditioning that was making her sicker. No surprise, there were a few police vans disguised as ordinary vans parked in the driveway. She imagined one of them talking into a walkie-talkie, reporting that she had just woken up. Then they would report that she went to the bathroom. The first Tamara would do was give Kiku a hard slap on the face that spoke the words, _"How could you do something so stupid?!" _and then close all the windows and door and draw all the curtains. In Kiku's opinion, the only stupid thing that she has ever done was to hide herself from the world.

Feeling rebellious and the need to find something to get her mind off her fever, she took her own cellphone out from the safe in her closet. It was the only phone that Tamara didn't deactivate in the entire house. Kiku used it to try and contact her dad whenever she wasn't allowed to, but to no avail. She groaned at the number of contacts she had in her phone. How many contacts would you find in a normal twenty-year-old's phone? A normal twenty-year-old who went to a public university, who didn't have an annoying bitch of a lady governess or even had a lady governess for that matter, whose father wasn't wanted in seventeen countries. The contacts in Kiku's phone only consisted of emergency numbers that Tamara had put in there before Tamara tried to confiscate the device, several old numbers of her father and one very special number. The number belonged to her only true friend who dared to give his number away to the daughter of FBI's most wanted.

Feliciano Vargas. He was a hot Italian exchange student from her high school who luckily for Kiku, had her as a buddy during his time in Tokyo. Feliciano was only liked for his looks, but he was a loser. A ditzy, clueless loser. Although everyone believed that his IQ could never go over 85, Kiku had other thoughts in mind. He was never just a happy-go-lucky with no good grades and a very vulnerable social standing.

"Feli?" Kiku managed, her cold sweat gathering on the screen of the phone as her eyes shifted to one of the police vans.

"Mr Vargas is busy now. Who is this?" The man on the other line sounded menacing. Although his words were meant to be polite but his tone sounded like he was going to shoot Kiku.

"Just tell him Kiku called." Kiku hung up without saying goodbye to the guy with the serial killer voice. _I wonder how Feli is doing now. Since he actually has someone to take calls for him, then he must be really successful…unlike me, stuck in this hellhole. Though…I wonder where Tamara-san is. It's so unlike her to not barge into my room every morning to nag me._

Meanwhile, when Kiku was taking her morning shower, there was a call made to Britain from one of the police vans. The police van looked like a white candy van which actually is those vehicles that molesters drive. They still had to look as unsuspecting as possible. The inside of the van looked unusually bigger than the outside. There were computers everywhere; it was almost like a moving mini office. "I want to speak to Agent K."

The phone was transferred to another line in the office of the best agent in the SIS, Agent K. He received training since he graduated from high school and in five years, he became the face of MI6 and the envy of all the other agents in the service, especially the ones near retirement who never got that title despite training for much longer than him. "Arthur Kirkland speaking."

"Sir, the bait has got a catch."

The blonde immediately knew what the agent in Tokyo was talking about. He quickly switched on his computer and connected it to the cameras installed in Kiku's room. His eyebrows twitched when he noticed nobody was in the room. "Who is it?" He asked, even though he already assumed she must be meeting her wanted father.

"Feliciano Vargas. Male, Italian, twenty this year, unemployed, jailed twice for three months for each term, was an exchange student at Ouran Private Academy **(A/N: No copyright intended. I couldn't think of a name.)**, that must be where he met Kiku Honda."

"Kiku Honda…you cunning vixen." Arthur mumbled under his breath. Out of the blue, an urgent message popped up in the screen of the computer. The big red words could just be some other stupid case another agent could handle, but he clicked on it anyway. To his shock, it actually had something to do with the case. "Listen carefully. Kiku Honda must be using that man to distract us. She is meeting Yamamoto Honda this afternoon at the airport. Stay alert. Follow her to the airport and nab her and Honda alive when you get the chance."

"Yes, sir."

Arthur hung up and let out a sigh of relief. This case has been dragging on since before he was born and was a headache to him since he joined the service. "You're finally mine, Honda."

* * *

**Please review! :D Ohohohoho…who exactly is Spain's bride-to-be? YES. BRIDE-TO-BE, NOT GROOM-TO-BE. There are yaoi couples, but NO YAOI. Because I have Hetero-ed all the yaoi. That's why there's Nyotalia. Oops. Leak too much. Thanks for reading! **


	2. Arthur's insecurity

"Sorry, but the number you dialed is currently unavailable. Please leave a message after the 'beep'."When Lovina was voicemailed for the fifth time, her impatience got the better of her. _Stupid frathello. Where the hell are you? Don't you know I'm getting married in a few weeks? _The invitation has already been sent, the voicemails have already been recorded and yet Feliciano has not responded to his older sister's wedding. Even though he was younger than her, he was currently her only living kin to walk her down the aisle and give her away to a man he oh so hated. Also, there was also the food catering, Feli's seat which was reserved at the front for the bride and groom's closest kin, stupid family advice for Lovina's entry to the next chapter of her life and so on. That seat that Lovina had kept empty ever since Antonio started distributing the invitations could always be used to squeeze one of Antonio's many business partners.

Antonio was well-known for his wealth, his businesses, and his success at his tender age, his good taste in women and faithfulness to them. He had appeared on the covers of several boring business magazines that only old businessmen read, but has never appeared on a single cover or page of any gossip magazine. He could be Person of The Year for Time, but his past employment with fugitive Yamamoto Honda pulled him down. That was the only thing you could gossip about Antonio, but not scandalous enough to put him on a page.

_This might be the last time._

* * *

As Kiku was drying her hair, she noticed that the doors and windows have been closed again, the curtains were drawn and the air conditioner was on. "Ugh, Tamara-san, you damn-"

Kiku nearly had a heart attack when she saw Tamara-san sitting on her bed. Who knows what punishment she would get for uttering those dirty, disrespectful words; especially when they were directed at Tamara? There was the usual unsatisfied frown on Tamara's face that gave Kiku the urge to slap it off her face. "You know, Kiku, you're having a fever now. You shouldn't wash your hair."

"And you should let me have some fresh air by opening the wall holes and turning off the damn air conditioner."

Tamara sighed. "Would you like to go out for some fresh air?"

"That wasn't very funny." Kiku scowled and then proceeded to mimic Tamara's posh and annoying voice. "What happened to '_It's dangerous to go out, Kiku! You'll get caught by the police and sent to jail! How am I supposed to answer to your father? Kiku, you're such a disobedient child!'_?"

"Somebody wants to see you, Kiku."

Kiku paused. _Could it be Feli_? "Who is it?"

"An Italian young man who calls himself Feli. I hear he's your ex-classmate. He called when you were still in the shower, saying that he is currently on a business trip in Tokyo and would like to meet you at the airport's café before he gets on his flight back to Venice."

Kiku's eyes lightened up all of a sudden, melting off the dark expression earlier directed at Tamara. "That's…that's too good to be true!"

"It's true anyway." Kiku squealed in excitement as she hurried to get changed. Of course, she had her doubts about Tamara, but even little doubts couldn't stop her from meeting Feliciano, her only friend in the world. Just a minute with him is enough to make her day. But the little doubts turned out to be bigger doubts that Kiku would soon realize.

"Stupid girl." Tamara mouthed as her fake smile disappeared. "Maybe if you had obeyed me, I would have let you live here a bit longer."

* * *

Arthur's eyes were bloodshot and sore from doing nothing but staring at his computer screen since morning. The computer screen was adorned with the live footage from the cameras installed in Kiku's room, from the inside and outside of her house and the police van. Since morning, Kiku had done nothing but take occasional naps and read manga. Maybe he should have agreed to letting his team in Tokyo install a camera in Kiku's bathroom, but he would be in for hell if his superior found out about it. _It is unprofessional, lecherous, despicable, humiliating and extremely ungentlemanly! _Her words were replaying in his head like a broken tape recorder. Yes, Arthur Kirkland, the famous Agent K was ruled and bossed around by a woman, or rather a schoolgirl.

The current head of MI6 was the daughter of the ex-head named Victoria. She had long dark hair, tanned skin and she hated British people although she talked with a London accent. Majority voted in favor of her becoming the next head. But they were all bootlickers who wanted to keep their jobs. Arthur was probably the only one in the service who argued with his former superior to have somebody with more life experience to be the head. You would think it would be a suitable thing if Arthur was dating Victoria, but she was a real pain in the neck. She had the body of a grown, mature woman, an unlimited variety of vocabulary but the mind of an immature schoolgirl. She especially enjoyed picking on Arthur since he was the one who voted her down.

Arthur had other cases to attend to, simple cases which involved an amateur murder or a serial killer on the loose in another country. Victoria seemed to have purposely put him the case he was trying to avoid. It was the only case that neither SIS nor CIA could solve in years. And seeing that it would already four and Kiku hasn't left the house, that stupid informant must have been lying. He sighed and disconnected his monitor from the cameras, taking a sip from the cup of tea on his desk as he stretched his rusted limbs.

"Having a good time slacking, Arthur?" Victoria snapped as she barged into his office with a man following her. _Oh no. It's her time of the month. _

"I was just taking a little rest after working for eight hours straight. May I help you, Victoria?

She rolled her eyes, which made Arthur want to throw his fist at her face. "I've got someone to help you for your case."

_She's gotten help? For me? Is it Opposite Day today? _He laughed, at first it was a chuckle which turned into an uncontrollable manic laughter. "Why don't you go home and get some rest? The weather must be getting to you."

Victoria was about to nag and whine at Arthur, but was interrupted by the platinum blonde man behind her. "Dude, you know I'm like, standing right here right?"

Arthur wiped away the tears he shed from laughing. "Oh, hi there. The janitor's office is on the first floor by the way. You'll get what you need there."

"This is Agent Alfred from CIA. He's younger than you in age but when it comes to spying and case-solving, he's nowhere lower than you. Please show some respect." Arthur realized Victoria was not throwing a tantrum so as to not lose face in front of an agent from CIA.

"Oh. Sorry. Is he the new trainer for the newbies?" Arthur shrugged as he brought his teacup to his mouth.

"Uh, no. I'm here for the Yamamoto Honda case?"

"Ah, well it would be good for someone to carry the bags."

"Dude, I know you're big agent and all, but I have feelings too, kay? I'm here to help you to solve that damn Yamamoto Honda case. From what I heard, you're having lots of trouble with it." Alfred scowled.

"You've got some nerve to talk to me like that, kid." Arthur said cockily. "I have you know I'm doing a great job at that case. In fact, I'll be able to catch the man by today. But if you're looking for a job, the janitor's office will always be open for you."

"Do have any idea who I am?"

"No and I don't care. I'll be getting back to work now."

Alfred tip-toed and peered at Arthur's computer as Victoria was about to explode from fury. He snorted, as there was nothing on the screen but the Victoria's Secret wallpaper. "I can see that."

Arthur grew bright red. "Fine. You've been acknowledged, happy?"

"Yep."

Victoria clapped her hands together excitedly and smiled at Alfred. "So Alfred, how's about we go for some tea?"

"Well, I prefer coffee but sure."

Arthur frowned. "You know…I could go for some tea too."

"Shut the hell up and get back to work!" Victoria ordered, which sounded like a screech of a banshee. Arthur fell off his chair at her sudden outburst and watched indignantly as the two strolled out of his office, talking and smiling from ear to ear. "Well, it looks like somebody has replaced me for Employee of the Month."

* * *

_"She's a beauty, Antonio. A beauty that can cause mass destruction and countless lives. A beauty that will make us the richest duo in the world, we'll having all the wealth in the world…literally this time." Yamamoto said as his lips curved into a devilish smirk. The key was attached to a ring that hung around his finger, occasionally making a 'clink' sound. The young Spanish man stared at the key across the dining table. He wished he could just snatch that key from the elderly man's finger and run away, then he wouldn't have to share his wealth with an old man near death. He wanted all the riches to himself. His eyes grew bigger with greed as he stared at that small key that could give the right to rule the world, literally._

_"What are you planning to name it?" Antonio asked, eyes still glued onto the key._

_"Kiku. Because it's the only thing in the world that's as precious to me as my daughter."_

* * *

**Short chapter? xD Thanks for reading! And sorry it took me days to come up with a chapter this short. D: **


	3. Professionalism

"Agent K! Agent K! Damn it, where the hell are you?!"

The agents in the police were all having aneurysms when Kiku had already left in a taxi and Arthur Kirkland was refusing to answer his phone. They had already sent another van to follow her, but it was the emergency one that didn't have a camera installed in the headlights. If they missed such a huge lead on the case, they wouldn't just be dragging Arthur's ass down, but they would embarrass the service and not to mention what they'll get from their tigress of a boss. "Answer the goddamn phone!"

Another call was sent to the van. "Reporting. Kiku Honda is indeed heading to the airport."

"It was right! Where the hell is he?!"

The worse thing that could interrupt a very important notification sent to Arthur's computer and several phone calls to his phone was a stomachache. Victoria can't blame Arthur for accidentally eating something poisonous for his five-minute lunch, but the case was so important that she would probably put a work desk in all the non-work rooms of the building, including the toilet in Arthur's office. But Victoria could blame Arthur for being so arrogant as to refuse having a personal assistant to help him with all his work.

Left with no other choice since Arthur hasn't answered his phone after thirty rings, they decided to act on their own. Being ignorant bootlicking agents, they knew nothing but to answer to Arthur only. He was their direct superior, no matter how much they sucked up to Victoria. They drove off and headed straight to the airport. Meanwhile, when Kiku was still having a heavy heart and butterflies about meeting Feliciano, Kiku noticed she was being tailed by the police again. _It won't hurt anyone right? I guess I'll just ignore them._

Kiku nonchalantly made her way to the airport's café, where she was supposed to wait for Feliciano, or which the police assumed, her father. The agents in the emergency have already followed her and reported occasionally on what she was doing. They were so careful that they didn't even miss the waiters who waited on her. "Be alert. Remember, we are looking for a Japanese elderly man. He may not look or dress exactly like Yamamoto Honda. Keep the camera on them and wait for my signal to arrest."

Kiku looked at her watch countless times, worrying that she was too late and Feliciano might have already boarded the plane. Her cake and coffee had been cleared, but her Italian friend was nowhere in sight. She let out a sigh, irritated at Feliciano for not waiting for her and disappointed that she couldn't get to see him although she had been anticipating it so much. At the very least, she got to have some fresh air. Since she never went out, she didn't have a curfew and she could get to see how much Tokyo has developed since the last time she went out. Just when she about to leave, a limping elderly man selling flowers went to her table. He looked nothing like the fancy and posh Yamamoto – a nylon jacket, patched trousers, a yellowish-brown shirt that used to be white and sport shoes. He was holding a basket full of flower bouquets and harassing every table at the café if they wanted to buy his flowers. This made the agents rise from their seats.

"Konichiwa, Miss. Would you like to buy a flower? I've got roses, carnations, lilies, tulips-"

He was interrupted Kiku put a wad of cash in his basket and took the rose he was holding in his hand. "Arigato. Keep the change."

"Arigato, Miss. I wish you good luck and everlasting youth!"

"And I wish you good luck and great health, sir."

"Oh, thank you so much. Were you just leaving?"

"Yes. May I walk you out?"

"Sure. They said I'm not allowed to sell these in here, but you see…it's hard to get customers in the streets." Kiku smiled and nodded as she helped the poor man out of the airport.

"He must be really injured." said one of the agents in the van.

"Huh! Probably from a gunfight with another team of police in another country. He must have noticed our presence, get them!" The agents that followed Kiku to the airport's café followed the two until they were out of the airport and at some deserted place so as to not cause panic among crowds.

"This will do, dear. Thank you-"

"Freeze! This is the British Secret Intelligence Service!"

The agents grabbed the elderly man and Kiku violently and dragged them to the van. "Yamamoto Honda, you are under arrest for theft, several murders, rape and possession of illegal weapons whereas your daughter is under arrest for hiding a fugitive."

"He's not my father! Let him go!" Kiku protested as she tried to push the agent away from her before he handcuffed her.

"What's going on? I didn't do anything wrong!" The elderly man cried.

"Yamamoto Honda…we've finally caught you, you old git!"

* * *

"Place your bets." The dealer said flatly as he watched the two remaining opponents try to finish each other off in a game of poker. The whole crowd in the casino gathered around that one game that never seemed to end, craning their necks at the cards that were displayed on each player's side. The Belarusian woman, one of the two players left since everyone else felt it was too long and tedious, was very confident about beating her opponent, an Italian Mafia boss, Feliciano Vargas.

She smirked as she threw her chips at the middle of the table. "A million."

"Sir?" The dealer and another man, a Mafia member, said in unison.

"Um, I mean boss." The man bent down a little to level his mouth at Feliciano's ear. "You've got an important call."

"If it's Lovina again, you know what to do."

"No. It's some girl called Kiku. She rang your line in Japan and it took them a few hours to get the call here."

Feliciano's eyes widened at the familiar name. _She's calling so suddenly. That must mean she needs help. _"Where is she now?"

"When she called, she was still at home. But now she's arrested by the SIS and taken back to their headquarters in London."

"Call my pilot. Tell him we're going to London." The man nodded and left the casino. Feliciano stood up. "Gentlemen, I need to leave suddenly. Ms Braginski, thank you for the game. The bets are yours."

* * *

Victoria paced around her office irritably as she tried not to take another glance at the three idiotic agents standing in front of her which will only make her more enraged. She almost burst an artery when she found out they had caught the wrong man who they thought was Yamamoto Honda disguised as an ordinary middle-income man working for a florist. It turned out the elderly man they arrested and brought all the way back to London was really an ordinary middle-income man and they even had to compensate him and pay for his flight back to Tokyo for arresting him mistakenly. The room was silent as none of the agents dared to make a sound. They cursed Arthur, who was off in the interrogation room with the bait, while they had to put up with the frightening silence with Victoria.

A sudden fist went flying into the face of one of the agents when he cleared his throat. "You dimwits! Your performance today has shown me that you do not deserve to be an SIS agent! Not only did you catch the wrong man, you let Yamamoto Honda slip through our fingers again and you embarrassed the service in front of a florist!"

"H-he's not a florist, Chief, he just sells flowers in the-"

The other agent was interrupted when another fist was thrown at his face.

"Damn it! You failures, get the hell out of office and reflect on what you did today! Even if your superior was not around, you have no right to act on your own! You better be prepared for your suspension!"

"Yes, Chief." Indignantly, the three men left the office.

While Victoria was sipping tea to cool herself down, Arthur was interrogating a stubborn Kiku about her past encounters with her father. Since the three idiots that were reprimanded by Victoria had already blown their cover, simply sending Kiku back was plain dangerous.

"I told you already, I have not been in contact with my father since last year."

"But that means you were constantly in contact with your father and you purposely kept this from the police? Do you have any idea that your father is now the most wanted man in the working world?"

"Look, whatever punishment it is, I don't care. I never had a real life anyway. At the very least, it's much better than hiding from you guys all the time."

"Of course you've never had a real life. Your father is the highlight for FBI's most wanted. It's his entire fault you have no friends."

"I have friends!"

"If you met your father once, you must at least have his contact number."

"He changes his number all the time. He's a fugitive after all. You're not going to get anywhere even if I give you his number that he used last year."

"It's insulting to know that you think so little of our professionalism."

"You don't have any professionalism. Your subordinates are the best examples."

"If you're not going to talk, I'm going to keep you here until you do."

"Pleasure's all mine. I have nothing to do, nowhere to go. But if it's about talking, then I have something to ask _you_."

"In spite of the fact that you have no right to ask me anything, I'm interested. Shoot."

"Your subordinates don't usually follow me, because whenever I go out, it's always to my private tutor's place and you already have your cameras installed there. So why did you follow me to the airport? It was none of your business. It had nothing to do with the case."

"Oh, right. I'm pretty sure meeting your father had nothing to do with the case."

"My father?! I was meeting an old friend. Like I said, you have no professionalism."

"An eight-second call to your scapegoat will not easily distract us."

"I was really meeting my friend. My…Tamara-san…she said…" _Tamara…that cheap money-grubbing bitch! _"It was her, right? She told you guys I was meeting my dad. Tamara Kisuke."

"We indeed had an informant, but it was not your lady governess. We know that for sure."

"Then who was it?!"

"Anonymous."

Kiku was already certain it was Tamara, but although SIS had the right to protect their informants, they couldn't lie when they weren't undercover. But other than Tamara, who else could it be? Why else would she use Kiku's eagerness to meet Feliciano to trick her into getting arrested by the police on the way? If Tamara was after Yamamoto's fortune, he would need to be dead first, and Kiku would need to be informed of his death first, but he wasn't dead. _Could it be…?_

"Sir, somebody wishes to bail Kiku Honda out." An officer reported.

"Alright." He glanced at Kiku and pointed at her like an owner disciplining his dog. "Stay."

"Oh, I'll stay, alright!" Kiku snapped as she suddenly stood up and tried to attack Arthur, but her handcuffs were preventing her from doing so and hurting her wrists. She was too infuriated by Arthur to even try to think about who might want to bail her out.

* * *

**Hello! So, what do you think of the OOC Feliciano/Italy? Yeah, it's quite writing him as a retard/idiot in here, that's the purpose of him being the other main character! Like how Renge Houshakuji would say, everyone has a dark side! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, although not much of the story came out of it…**


	4. New Lead

Feliciano Vargas was an unpredictable topic found in his criminal records. He was supposed to be an absent-minded, unemployed failure who tried to attempt shoplifting twice. A simple case that shouldn't even be that much of a worry for neighborhood police posts. His real identity was a mystery that the police didn't have the time or interest to solve, but it showed they didn't know everything about the underworld. Arthur addressed the man as Kiku's idiot of a scapegoat in his head, despite the messy auburn hair, the menacing golden eyes or the Armani suit.

"Hello, Agent Kirkland. I'm Feliciano Vargas, a friend of Kiku." He greeted as he extended his arm to shake hands. His free hand was used to gesture another introduction. "This man beside me is my lawyer, Mr Russo."

"Yes, _of course_ you are." Arthur said sarcastically.

Feliciano kept smiling politely, but Arthur could tell he was rolling his eyes. "I've already paid for the bail. I just need your approval."

"Do you want to know why she was arrested?"

"Agent Kirkland, I am a very busy man. Please do not waste my time."

"Right." Arthur dragged as he pretended to go through the papers for Kiku's bail. He glanced at the lawyer who was gripping the handle of his briefcase tightly, waiting for Arthur to say no to the bail so he could take out all his completed homework to make him approve of it. Annoyed, he ignored the bloody text on the papers that he had seen too often and signed it to approve of the bail. He couldn't remember how many times he had done that, when some random filthy rich bastard would come in and interrupt the interrogation, especially when they had a lawyer with them. "Congratulations, Mr Vargas, you've done your homework. Officer, get Kiku Honda out."

When the officer lets Kiku out of the interrogation room like someone innocent misunderstood for being a criminal, she is far from ecstatic. She would rather leave the interrogation room, still handcuffed, ready to be escorted to her jail cell for murdering her lady governess. The middle-aged woman was driving her crazy and because her father was still in God knows where, she couldn't get rid of her. But Tamara had already gotten rid of Kiku first. _What would another crime do me any good anyway? Otosan says I'm a good girl…_Thinking of her father's praises made her feel better. When it came to crimes, she sucked at hiding incriminating evidence, she couldn't drive and the only subject she wasn't a good girl for was her physical class. Another crime would just make her beloved Otosan face-palm because of her.

With her mind occupied with her importance to her father, she didn't even wait for the man who bailed her out. She was embraced by a total stranger outside the building, a total stranger who gave her a familiar warmth, the familiar tickle of his messy auburn hair. Kiku's cheeks flushed when Feliciano pulled away and grinned at his old friend before kissing her cheek. "Kiku, it's been such a long time. You've gotten prettier."

"Hi, Feli." _Why do you look so different, Feli? I can't sense your…dimwittedness? _She realized she just spoke her mind and grew bright red. Feliciano just smiled, which was one of those things that didn't change about him. She knew she would be on cloud nine because she was so eager to see Feliciano, but her first meeting with him in four years was outside the MI6 building, right after he bailed her out. What did he think of her? How much did the bail cost for an MI6 case? She couldn't help but feel guilty, stupid and apologetic.

"Let's not just stand here. How about we get dinner?" He said, smiling innocently.

"Thanks, Feli. I'm glad to see you and all, but I need to go home _urgently_." She growled a little bit at her last word as she began to harbor vengeful thoughts about Tamara.

"Instead of going back there and being watched and monitored all the time, why not stay a little? London's great, you know?"

"But I…"

Feliciano held up her passport that was in Arthur Kirkland's hands just a few moments ago. It made her feel worse, but forced to spend a few more days in London with Feliciano. The atmosphere between them was colder and more awkward, opposed to her speculation which was that the chumminess between her and Feliciano was always there. After all, unlike all her so-called friends and boyfriends, he didn't change his number just to avoid trouble.

Dinner turned out to be something simple, yet a little too romantic for old friends – two plates of classic home-cooked spaghetti Bolognese, two glasses of red wine and three candles lit lay out on a wooden table on the deck of a private ferry directly under the stars. Thankfully for Kiku, the only sound that could be heard whenever the two were quiet was the sound of their mouths chewing and themselves breathing and the crickets. Ah, the crickets. The sound which indicates awkwardness. There seemed to be a limit to talking about school, old classmates and their current lives, when both of them had a common subject stuck at their throats, not knowing whether or not either of them should bring it up.

"Um, Feliciano?" She said, suddenly dropping her cutlery.

"Hm?"

"Don't you want to know why I…was arrested?"

"I believe you're innocent, Kiku."

_His trust made me feel like lead. I couldn't trust Tamara, even though I couldn't say she was the mole who lied to the police. There was something up her sleeve that was so obvious and yet hard to figure out. Feliciano had no reason to betray me and I had no reason to deny my trust in him. _

"Y-you know Tamara-san? She lied to me. She told me you were in Japan and then she, I mean the c-c-cops thought I was meeting my dad and then they arrested me and another elderly man whom they thought was my dad. And I called you today because well, I didn't mean to ask for help to bail me out, I-I just felt rebellious. I didn't mean to disturb your busy schedule and I'm really sorry about it too." The only time when Kiku would ever talk in such a fast pace was when she was apologizing. That was another one of her bad points, since all her stammering and stuttering only made the person she was apologizing to angrier.

_He smiled sheepishly. Why was he smiling sheepishly? If it should be anyone feeling sheepish, it should be me. But I couldn't even manage a smile._

"What are friends for?" He said as he poured more wine into Kiku's glass, signaling her not to panic. "I'm too free anyway."

"You're unemployed?"

He sighed. "Well, since you decided to be honest with me, I guess I'll be honest with you too.

"My father is the ex-boss of one of the laziest Mafias in Venice. Ex-boss, as in, I've taken over now. Venice is not really the place where you would find Italian Mafias, but like I said, we were lazy. Although we didn't really commit many crimes which are something a real Mafia should be doing, we still had to lay low to avoid trouble. During my stay in Japan, I had to act like…_that_. But now my father's dead, my sister's gone off to get married and I'm left to take care of Papa's assets and gang. Since he's gone, I guess keeping it a secret or not don't really matter." He looked up, smiling sheepishly again. "I'm sorry, Kiku. But that's how the underworld works. Still, I have to thank you for willing to stay as my friend even though you noticed I'm no longer that dimwitted, clumsy Feli. You must be feeling very cheated right now."

She couldn't help but smile back though still feeling apologetic and guilty about the bail fee. "Not at all. This is like a new start for us."

"So you're not, like, freaked out or anything right?" Feliciano asked, rather anxiously.

Kiku laughed as she poured more wine into _his _glass. "You were never, why should I be?"

* * *

"Agent Jones is here to see you."

"Dump him at the visitor's lounge. I'm busy." Arthur snapped, bloodshot eyes glued to his computer screen where he was training his Level 25 Pirate character in the role-playing game Maplestory. He had been playing it since the day Kiku was bailed out, where he was too sick of the case to continue finding evidence immediately. The game was generally for pre-teens, but recommended by his male co-workers who were playing it behind his back, instead of assisting him during work hours. He only bothered to download it when he reached his limit for the Yamamoto Honda case. Ever since Kiku was bailed out, Arthur just wanted to wait until Yamamoto Honda's death. He might already be dead. The man was in his 70s, recently recovered from a heart attack and suffered several bullet wounds. How long could he stand the life of a fugitive?

When one of Arthur's assistants passed the angered message to Alfred, he barged straight into the agent's office, ignoring the office lady who couldn't shut up about him not being allowed to enter. Arthur was completely oblivious of the two entering his office when he was bewitched by the game.

"Die, you filthy slimes! Die!" Arthur yelled as he incessantly pressed his 'attack' controls on the keyboard.

"Dude, there are more important things to worry about now."

"Sir, for the last time, you are not allowed to enter without Agent Kirkland's approval!" The office lady panicked, eyes shifting from Alfred to Arthur, hoping he could hurry up and leave.

"Likewise, for the last time, this is urgent. Now shut your face hole and get the hell out of here before I get _you_ fired."

"Oh, yes! I got a white potion. I didn't know slimes dropped white potions…" The computer screen went pitch black and it shut down all of a sudden. "What the hell?! Is there a blackout now?!"

Alfred dropped the papers he wanted to hand to Arthur on the table, while his other hand was holding the plug for the computer. "Are you done killing slimes yet?"

"Ugh…I don't want to work! Why don't we just wait for that old bastard to die? It won't make any difference anyway." Arthur whined.

"Won't make a difference, huh? Read the goddamn papers, jackass!"

Arthur groaned and skimmed through the papers effortlessly. However, as he began to understand the subject of the documents, he became more intrigued. There were words like _Yamamoto Honda, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, Kiku and deadly. _He turned to the next page, which was personal information of the sudden witness, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. _Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, 25, Spanish. _Arthur found the surname _Carriedo_ rather familiar, but the man had no criminal records and he had no memory of meeting him.

"If you think Feliciano Vargas is _just a distraction_, then you're wrong. From the information I gathered, he's Antonio's soon-to-be brother-in-law." Alfred said smugly, proud that he had beaten a senior SIS agent at a major case.

"How can you say so? I still think he's an idiot."

"He just bailed Kiku Honda out. Obviously, those three must be in cahoots with Yamamoto! And you let them off so easily!"

"I was going by the book. He paid the bail fee, what legal right did I have to keep Kiku Honda back?"

"Dude, by right, with a case this major, there shouldn't be any freaking bail fee!"

"Alright, alright. We shouldn't be arguing. Now that we've got a lead, we should be paying some visits…"

"I already tried, but being a rich ass businessman, he's busy as hell."

"Wait, you acted on your own without telling me?!"

"You can't blame me for your annoying unavailability for the past few days. Who wouldn't be pissed off?"

Arthur groaned. "That surname…Carriedo…"

"What?"

"I've heard it somewhere…I used to have a close friend and colleague with the same surname…"

* * *

**Hello, people. I may not be updating for a few weeks because EOYs are coming! OAO Thanks for reading! Leave me a review, please? :D**


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